JMU2004
April 14th, 2005, 02:58 AM
JMU's new APC (http://www.dnronline.com/sports-story2.asp)
Out Of The Stone Age
By MIKE BARBER
Daily News-Record
It might not be technically accurate, but the James Madison football team can’t help but feel that to the victor go the spoils.
In this case, the spoils are a new $10 million athletic facility, a nice upgrade for the Division I-AA national champions.
"It feels like a reward," defensive tackle Frank Cobbs said. "Even though it’s been in the works for a while – they were going to build it when we were 2-9 – but coming off this good season, having a real nice place like that to move into feels good."
Major construction on the Robert and Frances Plecker Athletic Performance Center in the stadium’s east end zone has been completed. James Madison’s academic support department moved into the building the last week in March. Last week, the football coaching staff moved into its offices.
"The timing could not be any better, to come off a national-championship season and move into the building we’re moving into," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said Wednesday after his team’s practice.
Players say they can’t wait to get into their new locker room, a move that won’t come until after spring practice ends. Still, the players have been in the new facilities and they like what they see.
"You don’t want to come out of it," offensive lineman Harry Dunn said. "You could basically live in that thing."
Dunn said JMU’s new home compares with some of the bigger schools the Dukes have played at recently – including Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
"We went into Tech’s locker room when we played there two years ago and we were just amazed," Dunn said. "Now, we’re like, that’s our locker room now."
Coaches have had the same reaction to their new offices and meeting rooms.
"We’re in the same ballpark with U.Va. and Virginia Tech," Matthews said. "Our coaches’ offices and meeting rooms are on par with Virginia Tech’s. We don’t have a 60,000-seat stadium like they do, but in terms of our working areas for coaches and players, we’re on par with them."
Matthews’ new corner office is more than three times the size of his old, windowless workspace. It has a view of the playing field and even a private bathroom. G. Harvey paintings of the Civil War era, picked out by Matthews’ mother-in-law, hang on the walls.
The new locker room – about 4,000 square feet, Matthews estimated – has 127 lockers, each with a JMU football helmet etched into them.
In the center of the locker-room floor, the carpet is a Dukes Dog logo, an addition that receiver D.D. Boxley suggested will spawn a new tradition.
"We got a big old Duke Dog and nobody’s steppin’ on it," Boxley said. ...
Out Of The Stone Age
By MIKE BARBER
Daily News-Record
It might not be technically accurate, but the James Madison football team can’t help but feel that to the victor go the spoils.
In this case, the spoils are a new $10 million athletic facility, a nice upgrade for the Division I-AA national champions.
"It feels like a reward," defensive tackle Frank Cobbs said. "Even though it’s been in the works for a while – they were going to build it when we were 2-9 – but coming off this good season, having a real nice place like that to move into feels good."
Major construction on the Robert and Frances Plecker Athletic Performance Center in the stadium’s east end zone has been completed. James Madison’s academic support department moved into the building the last week in March. Last week, the football coaching staff moved into its offices.
"The timing could not be any better, to come off a national-championship season and move into the building we’re moving into," JMU coach Mickey Matthews said Wednesday after his team’s practice.
Players say they can’t wait to get into their new locker room, a move that won’t come until after spring practice ends. Still, the players have been in the new facilities and they like what they see.
"You don’t want to come out of it," offensive lineman Harry Dunn said. "You could basically live in that thing."
Dunn said JMU’s new home compares with some of the bigger schools the Dukes have played at recently – including Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
"We went into Tech’s locker room when we played there two years ago and we were just amazed," Dunn said. "Now, we’re like, that’s our locker room now."
Coaches have had the same reaction to their new offices and meeting rooms.
"We’re in the same ballpark with U.Va. and Virginia Tech," Matthews said. "Our coaches’ offices and meeting rooms are on par with Virginia Tech’s. We don’t have a 60,000-seat stadium like they do, but in terms of our working areas for coaches and players, we’re on par with them."
Matthews’ new corner office is more than three times the size of his old, windowless workspace. It has a view of the playing field and even a private bathroom. G. Harvey paintings of the Civil War era, picked out by Matthews’ mother-in-law, hang on the walls.
The new locker room – about 4,000 square feet, Matthews estimated – has 127 lockers, each with a JMU football helmet etched into them.
In the center of the locker-room floor, the carpet is a Dukes Dog logo, an addition that receiver D.D. Boxley suggested will spawn a new tradition.
"We got a big old Duke Dog and nobody’s steppin’ on it," Boxley said. ...